Tourism in Germany
Tourism in Germany is organised through the state via the Reisebüro der NDR. Types of travel Tours A traveller first books their trip at a travel agent that is accredited by the Reisebüro. The travel agent then offers the traveller a choice of any of the many package tours that the Reisebüro offered. In some countries, travellers can book trips through participating domestic travel agents, which then coordinates with the Reisebüro to make reservations. Individual travel Independent travel is permitted within Germany, with motoring or taking a railway trip through the country the most popular options. The itinerary is arranged through the Reisebüro, and visits can be arranged at border posts and other Reisebüro offices in Germany. More complicated excursions are arranged before arrival, and the formalities involved with a holiday from Germany (such as the visa, any hotel bookings, advice on currency exchange, etc.) is taken care of by the Reisebüro. Formalities As with all states, foreign nationals from countries without the appropriate treaties are required to have visas to enter or exit Germany. Citizens of the member states of the Nordreich Alliance are exempted from all visa requirements. Citizens from the states of the former Continuum are barred from entry into Germany. There are three basic types of visas: *Non-stop transit visa *Transit visa (with 72-hour stopover) *Standard entry and exit visa (Visum zur Ein- und Ausreise) Additional rules apply to diplomats, journalists, business travellers, and other non-tourist visitors. All of the three basic visa types can, in theory, be arranged at the Reisebüro offices at the main border crossings. In addition to visas, travellers to Germany staying overnight (or longer) are required to register with the Reichspolizei. An "Aufenthaltsberechtigung" (residence entitlement) stamp is placed in the traveller's passport; the names of each city or Reigerungsbezirk (region) where the traveller is registered, as well as the expiration date of the registration, is entered in the appropriate space. Many times, the hotel where the traveler stays would take care of this for the traveller by taking the passport at check-in, giving the traveller a receipt, and returning the passport to the traveller the next morning, removing any inconvenience. Customs Gifts up to the value of 200 Reichsmarks can be imported. Accommodation Hotels Visitors to Prussia generally stay in hotels belonging to the Interhotel network. Interhotels (especially the Metropol and Grand Hotels in Berlin, the Bellevue in Dresden, and the Merkur in Leipzig) meet or exceed international standards for hotel accommodations. There are four classes of hotel room: *Deluxe – a minimum of ℳ100 per night per person *Expensive – ℳ90–100 *Moderate – ℳ70–90 *Inexpensive – ℳ40–70 Camping The official campsite network is run by Intercamp AG and are found all over Germany. Intercamp sites are open from 1 May to 30 September and are equipped with electricity, sanitation, running water, and other facilities. As with many equivalent private schemes in Western countries, booking in advance is required. Youth hostels German youth hostels are not officially open to foreigners, but sometimes foreigners are allowed to use them if space is available. Tipping Tipping is customary in hotels, resturants etc. The rate is set by the government to a maximum of 10%. Links *Neue Deutsche Reich Category:Freistaat Preussen